[Last modified: October, 14 2024 09:26 PM]
A draft research proposal: Public perception of gender signage of toilets
Topic:
What’s people’s opinion towards the common signs of gender in public toilets?
Research question:
- How much attention do people pay to toilet signs?
- Do people really think this existing symbol system can accurately represent gender characteristics?
- Do people believe that toilet signs should be strongly related to gender characteristics?
- Do someone consider these signs associated with gender bias and stereotypes? And why?
- To what extent are people confused and sometimes misled by these signs and went into the wrong toilet?
- If people do not quite endorse the current signs, what kind of design or alteration would they suggest?
- (optional) What about LGBTQ people? Do they want a new symbol system that includes non-binary gender as well, or they are perfectly good with the existing ones?
Methods:
Interview: pick random people I encounter at public places (mainly restaurants and department stores and museums) and ask them if they are interested for a short interview since this research is not restricted to any specific group
Bibliography: maybe related to some other research in the field of visual symbol, functionality of public space, gender psychology, gender equality awareness etc.
Resources collection and sorting: many versions of toilet signs that are still in use
Potential findings:
The mainstream toilet sign’s appearance
Both the value and flaws of the current version of toilet sign design
Public awareness of the link between toilet signs and mass perception of sexuality
Potential way to improve the signage of toilets
Further elaboration:
I choose this topic because it covers a wider range and deeply roots in gender issues which I care a lot (instead of the fetishism one, which you like better, sorry :D) and there’s no need to deliberately pick specific participants. I’m curious about how many people would think that toilet signs need to be updated as the gender affirmative movements develops, and how many think that is not even a problem. In an ideal situation, the proportion of male and female participants should be close to 1:1.
Some questions I would like to ask:
I worry that I may have some premises when I come up with this idea, since the toilet sign is related to everybody including me, especially that I’m a female. Actually I put forward this topic because I think most of the current toilet signs are biased more or less which makes me sick, so my overall attitude is negative. Is this OK to study something when you already have some views about it? Would my unintentional hints or emotional position influence my interview participants? If so, how can I try to stay neutral?
When it comes to interviewing LGBTQ people, how to avoid offending them when asking questions about toilet, biological sex and psychological sex, and gender cognition? Because I’m afraid I don’t know enough about them.